Getting to NC and the WHIRLWIND of 3 years!

I shipped my CHOICE belongings UPS and my car via a shipping company. This was all CHEAPER than actually driving across the country (gasoline, hotel rooms, food, etc...). However, recently I have reconnected with an old NAU friend though that moved to Atlanta by driving and seeing the entire country, and I must admit, I'm a little jealous. Maybe I'll shoot for that journey one day! I have to remember to FINISH this journey first!

I mention FINISHING, because lately it's been tough to see the "finish line". Everyone else can see it, but I'm struggling! I need it to just be here already! I recently attended ASHP Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas and made my rounds at the Residency Showcase. There seem to be so many decisions coming up! Where to live, what residencies to apply for, should I actually GO for a residency!? STRESS! I guess this is a part of the journey! The stress levels and decisions can get tough though! I keep hearing they're worth it! Let's HOPE so!

I finished my first year of pharmacy school with some ease... I was learning my own confidence... I had started dating a new guy (with which who one of professor's introduced me to). I remember leaving the LAST day of P1 year, and thinking "finished, in a blink of an eye"! I had a job with Rite-Aid, my own apartment, and a steady boyfriend. Life was good... or so I thought! I wasn't HALF-WAY prepared for what the Fall P2 semester would bring (or P2 year all together)!

Let's see:
P1 Year: meeting new people....learning the pharmacy school workload...study life....learning how to balance stress and a good attitude... READY for P2 year!

P2 Year: Classes ACTUALLY KICKED IT INTO HIGH GEAR!! It seems like we went from level 1 to level 10 in a matter of a minute! They warned us.... but no one believed! P2 year SUCKED!! But, some of classes were definately worth it (hind site is 20:20). There were days I'd be so sick of seeing my classmates DAY IN AND DAY OUT...but most days I loved CRACKING up with them about the lovely randomness of the pharmacy school experience!
This was the year that I was in the middle of the toughest classes and my "wonderful boyfriend" broke up with me exactly ONE WEEK after he PROPOSED MARRIAGE!! It devastated me! But, I learned over time, that I (as well as ANY and EVERY girl) deserves to be #1 in their guy's life...and if there's ANY sign of #2....it's time to "PEACE OUT"! That's all for now!

I Am Lucky

So, now I had to figure out HOW I would get myself to North Carolina! North Carolina...2000 MILES AWAY FROM HOME! This would be an adventure. An adventure I had to figure out in 5 FAST months! Would I drive? Would I fly? How would I get my car out there if I had to fly? How much stuff did I need to take? How would I get my stuff out there?

Wow... this was becoming quite a process! I started calling moving companies, but they were expensive. As I went through all my own "genious" ideas, and ran into a brick wall, my dad FINALLY shared his opinion as to what I should do! He's a gentleman, and won't push his ideas on ANYONE unless asked. He suggested I call UPS to see how much it would cost to ship my belongings. Then he suggested to ship my car and fly out there. It was just as expensive (on paper) to drive myself across the country with the cost of gasoline and hotel rooms, as it would be to fly myself and ship the rest. So, I did just that. I boxed up everything I owned (and maybe a little more that I figured my mom wouldn't miss...lol), and made sure they were light enough to lift on my own (another suggestion of my dad's : - )). I spent all my money in my savings account and planned to move everything out to NC, then buy a TV, bed, and couch when I arrived. Thankfully, my parents chipped in and helped me again with a plane ticket (this would NOT be the last time they would help me financially). I thought for sure, and I even voiced to my mom that "they wouldn't need to ever help me again financially". I was certain I was "Miss Independent", and didn't need any assistance from the parents anymore; just emotional support. Phew... I was wrong! But, I'll get to that subject a little later.

Sometimes, we want to leave the nest, but when we fall, it's amazing to have such wonderful parents to pick you up. My parents have NEVER let me fall completely on my face. Don't get me wrong, they definately helped me learn some tough lessons through experience, but they never let me fail or quit. I'm so very grateful for both of them! I hope to be HALF the parent each one has been to me someday! I consider myself very lucky and I do take pride in the way I was raised. My parents did a really great job! I had to certainly learn how to appreciate how wonderful they are though. I've seen some disturbing behaviors from parents over the years that makes me sick to my stomach, but it's made me quite grateful for their guidence, support, and leadership in my life. I am lucky.

I have never spent any money in my savings account before, but I considered this a great pharmacy school adventure an investment worth going broke for. I was scared though. Scared of the term "poor college student"....literally.

Ground zero humbled me (ie: a newly broke graduate student). It humbled me especially when I GOT to pharmacy school, and was faced with my classmates in the private school. I was not prepared for this. I wasn't concerned about clothes, or purses, or heels, or matching umbrellas for goodness sake! My mom was always the "shopper" in our family, and I just wasn't "into" it so to speak. So, I was ill-prepared for this adventure of discovering the reality of "professional dress", and the FACT that people judge you by how you look, bottom line. I was always taught not to judge others for how they look, but that didn't mean that others would point and judge me. I just was really oblivious to what classy "fashion" entailed. This is another lesson I learned along the way. I learned the importance of taking CARE of yourself, and to have some confidence; just not TOO much. I had to learn the balance of humility and confidence. No one likes an arrogant person, and no one can RELATE with an arrogant person. So, don't be arrogant! : - ) I consider myself lucky to have learned this lesson. I STILL have times in my life when I need to remind myself of the balance (in EITHER direction). Sometimes, being too humble will get you walked all over, and then being too arrogant leaves you lonely. My hope is to one day get it down "pat"!

Getting Accepted

Well, let me start with the process of actually getting accepted to pharmacy school. For me, this was a bit of a challenge, especially because I don't have a "competitive" personality. I've always struggled with the concept of getting "straight A's". I believe that if a person is TRULY learning and retaining the information, it shouldn't matter how well they can "memorize" to achieve the "A". I have a tough time believing that just because someone makes "straight A's", then they are "smarter" than the other people making B's and C's. Now, this isn't to say that SOME people who make the A's aren't ALSO super smart, and we all have different views as to what "smart" truly is. For ME, it is being able to apply material I learn to my life and the lives of other people. The point of learning is to have clarity of the material and to understand it inside and out. We should also always keep in mind our PURPOSE of learning. Having a purpose keeps us grounded and constantly keeps us applying the information.

My purpose of having an expertise in pharmacy is and always will be to keep on the cutting edge of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) information. This is my interest because my dad has battled the disease for over 15 years now. There hasn't been much in the way of progression regarding the treatment of MS, but I will surely on the front lines when something, (anything), happens!

This purpose has driven me throughout these years in school. Whenever I kind of get "off track" or don't feel like keeping on, I step back in my mind and remember MY purpose! I've noticed that some people's purpose is to "make the big bucks", (don't get me wrong, I'm excited and will be GRATEFUL for that paycheck when it gets here), but I've learned that money should and can never be a driving force for success. Money should also never define one's success. This has been a HUGE lesson learned along the way. I got "sucked" into the feeling that the more money one makes, the more successful they are. I have learned that THIS IS NOT TRUE! I have learned that instead, happiness and success are defined by one's contentment on the inside. There's nothing wrong with success and money, but I've learned that they should never fill the void of contentment in our lives.

OK, off the soapbox now....

Getting accepted to pharmacy school:

First thing I had to overcome was the DANG PCAT (pharmacy admissions test)! I took this sucker THREE times, and still didn't do that "HOT"! I learned to be super grateful for the interview and other factors that weighed into acceptance. My mentor (Mary Lou) was my cheerleader throughout this process! Mary Lou had taught me everything about pharmacy thus far, and I was (and still am) very grateful for her! So, I applied to ONE school in Arizona (Midwestern University), and crashed and burned. At this time I was also going through a divorce, so life wasn't quite "panning out" at this point. Mary Lou and my parents kept me focused and strong. I was honestly worn out, but felt like I have a goal and I want to finish it!

So, I retook the PCAT, and worked refocusing my goals. At this point I was moved back in with my parents, and moving through grief and disappointment. But, somehow I just kept going. I decided to finish my degree at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ (which delayed my entrance to pharmacy school). Here's another lesson I had to learn: There is no need to be in such a rush to get things done....time will pass regardless! It's important to just keep pressing toward the goals that have been set. I always thought there was a certain timeline that I had to keep up with, and that if I didn't keep up, then I would be behind! "God-forbid!" haha....

So, I realized that one day at a time is good enough. I took the next year and worked hard to get my degree in Chemistry with a minor in Biology, and worked to keep my grades at a competative level (even though I loathed the concept). Mary Lou encouraged me to branch out and apply to schools all over the country. So I did just that! I can't even remember how many essays I wrote and how many application fees I paid, but I was just determined. My parents and Mary Lou still supporting me the entire way. The weeks and months went by, after I turned in all the applications (these applications also took a lot of work and thought). I wanted to get accepted for just being who I truly was, not because I looked good on paper! So, I was still hoping for those interviews!

Finally, I was on a lunch break with a friend, and we were at Bath and Body Works, when I got a phone call from Wingate University in North Carolina for an interview. I was SO excited! I didn't even realize or care how far North Carolina was from my home, I was just excited to be on a closer level to acceptance. I started recieving letters and phone calls within the next two weeks regarding interviews at Mercer University in Georgia, University of Kansas in Missouri, and University of Wyoming. I decided to start with what would be my first and final interview at Wingate University!

So, my parents helped me with a plane ticket out to North Carolina, and my mom accompanied me! It was a great trip. My mom and I had a blast! We were exploring new territory (she's got a gift with this)! I was scared at not knowing about anything in NC, but my mom's exploratory personality perfectly complimented me at this point! : - ) I needed her!

She drove me to the interview, dropped me off, and came back to get me after 8 hours of the intense interview! I felt like I was a contestant on Donald Trump's show "The Associate". Everyone was so cut-throat! I wasn't sure if I was cut out for this type of competition, and hoped that the Dean and other professors saw my genuine personality, and would give me a chance.

My mom picked me up in the parking lot of the school, and I was in a cold sweat! I was so nervous about the results, but yet at the same time had a sense of peace. The school was great! The people were great! I felt really comfortable at this school. So comfortable that I had made MY decision as to which school to choose...Wingate University! I was just hoping they would choose me too!

We enjoyed the rest of our trip.....ate at Captain Dee's, went to see The Pink Panther at the theater, checked out the hot guy working at Tommy Bahama at Southpark, and laughed together. Again, I needed my mom here!

A week later, (on a Friday), I received a phone call at the pharmacy where I worked from my mom. She had a letter from Wingate! I was freaked out.... should we read it over the phone??!!! Ahhhh!! I caved and told her to go ahead and open it.... all I heard was "oh Andrea! We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the School of Pharmacy..." I was so excited! What a great day! We started celebrating in the pharmacy, and I felt like a new world had just opened up to me. I was sure to finish out strong at NAU, and graduated in May. Now the next adventure would be in learning how to move all my stuff out to North Carolina....2000 MILES AWAY FROM HOME!!!

A Day of Decision

Today I have decided to post a blog simply to remember my last four years in pharmacy school. I have learned to take the time to remember and appreciate all that I have learned about the world, and most importantly about myself. My hope is that other past, present, and future students (and anyone else) would gain some insight into the endurance that pharmacy school takes. The endurance of pharmacy school takes a DAILY decision to stay positive and devoted. It takes understanding that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that learning, especially an expertise, doesn't happen "overnight". The endurance also takes having goals set and a plan as to how to obtain those goals! When I first started this "journey" of #1 getting ACCEPTED to pharmacy school, and #2 actually FINISHING strong, I never realized just exactly HOW much patience and perseverance I needed. Pharmacy school alone is a challenging adventure, but all the relationships built and broken and life lessons (emotionally, physically, and financially) add some "spice" to the challenge! Here's to looking back on ALL the lessons learned in life thus far! I cannot wait to see what lessons lie ahead in the next chapter of my life!